November 15, 2023 
9 MIN READ 
Considering a coding bootcamp? Job placement rates are often top of mind for our students when it comes to researching which is the best option. It’s understandable – a Coding Bootcamp can be an effective and cost-efficient way to gain new skills and make an exciting pivot towards that dream developer role or that life-changing new career in tech.
Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
But let’s face it, whichever way you look at it, it’s an investment in your future and you need to feel confident that it’ll pay off. Coding bootcamp job placement rates are just one of the criteria you should have when assessing which is the best option for you.
For this jam-packed guide, we’re getting into the nitty gritty, covering:
- What exactly is a Coding Bootcamp?
- What Are Coding Bootcamp Job Placement Rates?
- What factors affect job placement rates?
- How can you research and compare job placement rates for different bootcamps?
- What steps can you take to increase your chances of landing a job after graduation?
So what exactly is a coding bootcamp?
A coding bootcamp is an intensive, short-term training program designed to teach you the skills you need to become proficient in coding and software development.
The duration depends completely on what you’re learning, whether you’re learning onsite or remotely and whether you’re learning full-time or part-time. The aim of a coding bootcamp is to provide students with hands-on experience, working on real-world projects. Some bootcamps now also offer careers support designed to help graduates find a job in tech after graduation.
For example, during the last week of a CodeOp Bootcamp, we hold a Careers Week to equip our students with all the necessary tools to secure a job post-Bootcamp.
If you want to really get into the ins and outs of a Coding Bootcamp and how they work, check out: What exactly is a Coding Bootcamp?
What Are Coding Bootcamp Job Placement Rates?
Coding bootcamp job placement rates are metrics used to measure the percentage of graduates who get a job in tech within a certain timeframe after finishing the Bootcamp. This can of course vary depending on the school and the metrics used to measure success.
For example: in 2022, 90% of our graduates were hired within 6 months or less of completing their Bootcamps.
When it comes to the average job placement rate for coding bootcamps, the numbers vary slightly. According to Course Report, the global average is 79%. Meanwhile, Career Karma reports that recent data from the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting shows the average job placement rate for coding bootcamp graduates as 71%.
You might wonder why even the global average job placement rate is so high. This is because coding bootcamps often develop strong connections with the tech industry, provide graduates with valuable career resources, and in some cases, connections to tech employers.
With a focus on practical skills and real-world experience, coding bootcamps are now a genuinely viable alternative to traditional education like a computer science degree, which according to the same data provided by Career Karma offer a 68% average placement rate.
The data also tells us that coding bootcamps can be a great opportunity if you’re looking to transition into the tech industry from another field. And the high job placement rates that coding bootcamp graduates enjoy is just one of the reasons for their increasing popularity.
What factors affect job placement rates?
Coding bootcamp job placement rates should never be analysed in complete isolation. We’ve gone into more detail in our blog how to choose a coding bootcamp that’s just right for you because choosing the ideal bootcamp for you should go beyond their job placement rates. It should also depend on your unique situation and career aspirations. Job placement rates can be influenced by a variety of factors, so it’s worth researching:
- Quality of the tech curriculum
- Level of career support provided by the bootcamp
- Demand for tech talent in the local or current job market
- Your own individual efforts both as a student and as a job-seeking graduate
Let’s take a look at some of these contributing factors in some more detail.
Quality of the tech curriculum
Bootcamps with strong curriculums will introduce supplementary coding languages beyond the fundamentals. They will teach additional tools, up-to-date technology, techniques and best practices that will set you up for working in a real coding job once you graduate. Stand-out curriculums will also include plenty of time for students to work on real-world projects. Building multiple projects during a coding bootcamp allows you to graduate with a ready-made portfolio to show recruiters your technical skills and showcase your ability to build products and features from scratch, collaborate with others and enter an existing codebase.
Level of career support provided by the bootcamp
The level of career support and resources that the bootcamp offers you as a student can also affect job placement rates. CV-building workshops, mock interviews, and additional skills sessions (to name a few examples) can all help students better prepare for the job search process and increase their chances of landing a job. Take a look at the careers support that we offer both our Full Stack Development and Data Science students, to get an idea of what is available.
Bootcamps that have partnerships with companies in the tech industry can provide students with valuable networking opportunities and potential job leads.
Demand for tech talent in the local or current job market
Where you are based can also have a slight impact on job placement rates, as some cities and tech hubs have more job opportunities in the tech industry than others. Of course, there are now many more hybrid and fully remote roles available since 2020 but in some cases, companies are encouraging their employees back into the office. We’d recommend finding out the remote work policies of each company you’re interested in working for.
By researching placement rates in conjunction with other important factors, you can make a truly informed decision about which Bootcamp is right for you and your career goals.
How can you research and compare job placement rates for different bootcamps?
The first place to check is the website of the Bootcamp you are researching – they should make their job placement rate clear, easy to find and easy to understand. For example, we share ours on our homepage. It’s also worth noting that some bootcamps will describe it as an ‘employment rate’.
It’s also important to consider the overall reputation as well as any partnerships or connections they may have with employers in the tech industry. You can also reach out to alumni or current students of the bootcamp to ask about their job placement experiences, based on the job placement placement data provided. Most students and graduates will be honest with their opinions – good or bad! Spend some time reading student reviews on websites like CourseReport or SwitchUp to get a feel for the student experience and the job placement opportunities, beyond the data.
By taking these factors into account, you can make a more informed decision about which coding bootcamp is right for you and your career goals.
What steps can you take to increase your chances of landing a job after graduation?
While job placement rates are an important factor to consider when choosing a coding bootcamp, there are also proactive steps that you can personally take to increase your chances of employment after graduation.
It’s important that you research and compare different bootcamps to find the best combination of quality education and support for job placement success. But it’s just as important that you are committed to putting in the effort as a student and when it comes to getting yourself a job placement after your Coding Bootcamp. Proactivity is key. What can really set a graduate apart in the job market is how proactive they’ve been in gaining coding work experience. Gone are the days when this just involves signing up to loads of in-person, corporate networking events. Employers like to see that you’ve taken initiative with coding projects that interest you, or finding innovative ways to showcase your work, as well as becoming an active member of coding communities.
First, make sure you start the coding bootcamp at a time when you can be fully committed to the program and put in the time, effort and energy to learn and improve your coding skills.
Networking is also crucial, so join communities and attend events or meetups in the tech industry as soon as you can when you start the coding bootcamp. Or even before! Don’t wait until you’re about to graduate. These are great ways to make connections with other coding students and employed developers as well as a way to learn about job opportunities.
From the very start of your coding journey, it’s well worth building a portfolio of projects to showcase your skills and experience to potential employers. The great thing about coding bootcamps is the focus on practical skills, and a portfolio is a great way to demonstrate this.
It’s important to research the job market, develop an idea of what type of coding job or specialism you’re keen to pursue and understand what skills and technologies are in demand. This can help you tailor your learning and project-building to better align with job requirements. The world of coding is vast and fast-developing, so the more you can focus on what interests you most, the more employable you can become.
Finally, it’s a good idea to seek out mentorship opportunities or guidance from experienced professionals in the field. Many coding bootcamps offer career services and job placement assistance, so take advantage of these resources and work closely with your instructors and career advisors. There are many structured mentoring programs available in coding communities and of course, there will be less formal opportunities for you to find mentorship – you simply have to spend some time building strong relationships in relevant communities.
With dedication, hard work, and strategic planning, you can definitely increase your chances of landing a job after completing a coding bootcamp.
FAQs
Can you really get a job after coding bootcamp?
Absolutely! Industry-wide and bootcamp-specific data speaks when it comes to the possibility of getting a job after a coding bootcamp. You do however need to put in the time, effort and commitment to take advantage of all the career support offered by the bootcamp you choose and make sure you’re proactive in networking and applying for jobs as your bootcamp comes to an end.
What is the success rate of coding bootcamps?
The success rate of a coding bootcamp can be otherwise known as the ‘job placement rate’. This is because most people who sign up for a Bootcamp have a goal to get the training they need to then get a coding job. The ‘success rate’ or ‘job placement rate’ differs from Bootcamp to Bootcamp and across different 3rd-party sources. According to Course Report, the global average is 79%. Meanwhile, Career Karma reports that recent data from the Council on Integrity in Results Reporting shows the average job placement rate for coding bootcamp graduates as 71%.
Is coding worth it in 2024?
Coding is definitely not going anywhere. Code is a fundamental component of digital products, websites, AI tools and much more. As technology continues to evolve at such a fast pace, coding will remain an essential career path.
9 MIN READ